Asger Risom
The company wants U.S. authorities to bar competing models from entering the country.
Whirlpool is escalating a global appliance battle with a sweeping legal push in Washington, accusing several Asian rivals of copying one of its signature kitchen technologies. The company wants U.S. authorities to bar competing models from entering the country.
At stake is a niche category of microwave ovens that has become a growing profit center for the Michigan-based manufacturer.
Patent fight expands
According to reporting from Reuters, Whirlpool has filed a complaint with the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) claiming that Samsung and LG of South Korea, along with Chinese makers Midea and Haier, infringed five patents tied to its “low-profile microwave-range combination” products. These over-the-range units are designed to cook food while also handling ventilation — a format Whirlpool says it pioneered.
The filing argues that competitors replicated core elements of its design, undermining a market where Whirlpool was once the only supplier. The company said it created the LP-MHC category and maintained exclusive control over it until, in its view, other manufacturers began “unlawful conduct.”
Whirlpool submitted parallel federal lawsuits in Texas and New Jersey seeking monetary damages, Reuters reported, signaling a broader strategy to defend its intellectual property on multiple fronts.
Seeking import bans
At the ITC, Whirlpool is asking regulators to block the import and sale of the disputed microwave models. If the agency agrees to open an investigation, it could ultimately issue exclusion orders preventing the products from reaching U.S. shelves.
Spokespeople for Samsung, LG, GE Appliances (owned by Haier) and Midea did not immediately respond to Reuters’ requests for comment. Whirlpool, in a statement, said it “will not hesitate to defend its innovation and intellectual property when a competitor steals a patented design.”
The ITC process can take months and often runs in parallel with federal court disputes. Companies in similar cases frequently pursue settlements, licensing deals or redesigns to avoid potential bans.
Protecting a key market
Whirlpool, headquartered in Benton Harbor, Mich., has leaned on kitchen appliances as a pillar of its North American business amid shifting global demand. Over-the-range microwaves, especially low-profile models that fit under cabinets or above stove tops, have become a competitive segment for major brands seeking differentiation in a mature market.
By arguing that its rivals copied technology rather than developed their own, Whirlpool aims to lock in an advantage at a time when global manufacturers are aggressively pushing into U.S. appliance categories.
The company maintains that its technology provides meaningful functional and design benefits, and that importing competing products undermines both its investment and its leadership in the segment.
Sources: Reuters
